Please use this topic to discuss the White House's decision to extend the International Space Station program to at least 2024.

Robert Pearlman

The International Space Station, occupied since 2000 and currently supported through 2020, has the White House's approval to operate for an additional four years, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

According to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, NASA plans to announce this week that it has White House approval to extend the station's operations by four years until 2024.

The decision follows years of pressure by top NASA officials, who consider the station a critical steppingstone to future exploration. But a four-year extension likely would cost NASA about $3 billion a year from 2021 to 2024. That's a major chunk of the agency's annual budget, which is now about $17 billion, and a longer mission could force NASA to make tough financial decisions in the future.

The administration's approval, however, doesn't guarantee that the station, which has been continuously occupied since 2000, will survive past its current end date of 2020. At some point, Congress must approve a NASA budget that includes an extension of the station's life. The plan also must get the support of whoever wins the White House in 2016 — though the backing of President Barack Obama now might make it harder for the next administration to renege.

Still, the move is expected to reassure NASA's international partners, who have wondered how long the U.S. plans to commit to the station. NASA's announcement coincides with a visit to Washington this week by leaders of the world's space agencies.

capoetc

...though the backing of President Barack Obama now might make it harder for the next administration to renege.

Similar backing before certainly has not stopped the current Administration or previous Administrations from reneging.

issman1

ISS the only long-term orbital destination for humans and needs additional partners from Asia.

Crashing it into the South Pacific in 2020 would be like euthanizing a healthy pet. One hopes that those wishing to succeed Obama are well-informed and not dismissive of NASA.

It actually doesn't, nor could it likely support such. The crew is maxed out at six (seven, when U.S. commercial crew comes on line, but then the potential seventh crew member slot is for a U.S. astronaut).

There are currently not enough slots for even the current partners to fly as often as they desire (ask Canada).

The number of docking ports are limited and traffic around the station is very busy.

In other words, there is not much a new partner could bring to the space station that would justify their being a partner.

328KF

That's the most logical reasoning I have heard yet for not having China piggyback on the ISS partners' accomplishments. There are many, many other reasons, but I like Robert's facts.

Robert Pearlman

Thanks. And just to clarify, the above applies to China, India, Brazil, Israel or any other country that might want to come on board as a partner.

The only scenario where I could see new partners being welcomed would be if one or more the existing partners dropped out.

Robert Pearlman

The editorial board of The New York Times has come out in favor of extending the International Space Station to 2024 and beyond in an editorial published Sunday.

Congress seems likely to support the extension because it will provide local jobs and contracts. The budgetary effect will be negligible through 2020. But eventually, Congress will need to decide whether to keep operating the station for as long as its key components last, possibly through 2028 or beyond, use the money for other manned and robotic space missions or supply enough money to do it all. The station ought to be kept in orbit as long as it yields important research findings, but it should not be allowed to cannibalize other important space activities.

NASA’s budget is a tiny part of the trillions of dollars in annual federal spending. Congress ought to appropriate enough money to keep the United States at the forefront in all realms of space research and exploration.

Robert Pearlman

Russia has formally notified its International Space Station partners that it will continue in the partnership at least to 2024, Space News reports.

The 22-nation European Space Agency confirmed that the Russia space agency, Roscosmos, had notified ESA and the other partners of its commitment to 2024, a decision that followed similar guarantees by NASA – the station’s general contractor – and the Canadian Space Agency.

That leaves ESA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA, as the only two current partners yet to make a decision. ESA has yet to commit even to 2020 but expects to do so at a meeting of its member governments in late 2016.

Robert Pearlman

The Senate on Tuesday (Aug. 4) passed the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which among its provisions extends the use of the station:

Provides a four-year extension of the ISS into 2024 by directing the NASA Administrator to take all necessary steps to ensure the ISS remains a viable and productive facility capable of utilization, including for scientific research and commercial applications.

The bill will have to be reconciled similar but differing legislation passed earlier in the House before it can be signed into law.

Fra Mauro

I agree with the extension to 2024. I wouldn't extend it further if it would affect Orion/SLS (assuming that still exists).

oly

I would like to see ISS utilized within Orion/SLS as a LEO staging post workshop. To assemble equipment for a Mars mission or such. It would be cheaper to maintain an existing space station than it would be to build a new one.